Why not give the Maui Ultra Fin No-Spin Cross a chance. So many folks have these preconceived ideas about fins that box them into thoughts that have little basis in fact. Ironically, LeeD mentions a 34cm Tectonics Goldwing, but what if you used a 26 or 28cm Goldwing? I have a 34cm Goldwing, and it's a sweet fin, especially in rough water. I also have a 32cm Tectonics F1 Falcon, and it's an incredible fin for 5.0 conditions on my 80 liter Mike's Lab Wave Slalom on the ebb at the Delta. It doesn't have the wavey outline, but that doesn't mean that it isn't loose and solid in the turns. Another way to look at things is total area of the fin. Unfairly, I think that high aspect fins often get a bad rap. Sometimes thinking out of the box pays off.

Im definitely no expert, but it seems that the drag of the fins is just a sum of all the drags and same for lift... side fins or not, if the center fin has less drag and more lift the board will be faster. I got the glass board with thrusters for the control, so that I can go faster comfortably.Ill try out some of my rainbow pointer fins and see what happens. I swapped my slotted fin for a race fin on my F2 wave one time and it was substantially faster .

What are the particulars on the OO in question ? I saw in the shop that Brian makes several constructions.

just generally the Nospin cross, Ride, Style and Wave have similar shapes

Using on several different boards, from Angulo to Witchcraft the MUFs have performed as written on the tin lid.

Since the side fins are glassed on and the black tail bottom, I assume it's one of his older flagship "Enduro" boards. I believe he's only been using his alternative light construction for a few years. My last board, 8'4 is a construction method he just started, or will start offering to the general public. I'm going to talk to him later this morning. I'll ask him about it.

The guy I got it from said it was around 2000, definitely the heavier construction, but at that size its not a problem. Unlike my Spoon it wont get heavier each time I use it too...

Just to be clear about Brian Hinde's Open Ocean boards. His center fin arrangement is usually a Chinook US finbox. Now, regarding the thruster fins, you can order them as glassed-on fins or as little finboxes where you can either add or remove the fins. Also, if you want, Brian will make you a single fin less the thruster fin options. Since 1992, I have had all these different versions.

Im definitely no expert, but it seems that the drag of the fins is just a sum of all the drags and same for lift... side fins or not, if the center fin has less drag and more lift the board will be faster.

I swapped my slotted fin for a race fin on my F2 wave one time and it was substantially faster .

F2 waves have faster hulls, and that fin detracts significantly from the board's performance strengths. Low-drag fins don't ADD speed to a board's potential, rather, they SUBTRACT less speed than a high-drag fin does. It's like filling a hollow board with helium can't make the board lighter than the total weight of its glass and resin and boxes.

I'm not saying you shouldn't try a faster fin. I'm just suggesting that a guy on a tight budget may be disappointed with spending three figures on a fin to tweak the third decimal point of a particular board's overall drag, especially a board designed from the ground up for comfort and handling.

OTOH, since you have so many boards, you're likely to get some good use out of a faster fin on some of them, maybe even your OO. For example, here's Performance Windsurf Report's test report on the 1995 8'6"/74-liter size of your GEM [plus my added comments]:
The tester's report most indicative of the GEM's overall impression was, "I can't decide which was better, its exceptional speed or its exceptional maneuverability.”

The entire review: “This GEM River Board is a high-speed B&J board for those who like sailing on the edge. It had that light, feathery, flickable feel that many experts prefer, yet remained stable and very controllable through most wide and tight jibes. It floated through giant jumps like a butterfly, and maneuvered like a butterfly on FAST FORWARD. It was very loose, initiating turns in a heartbeat. It bordered on being squirrely, especially in big gusts, where it waned to skip downwind at speed [needs more fin?]. Its great speed, exceptional maneuverability, and light weight [14.75#] were a blast when powered up, a full-time occupation when overpowered in chop [you will like that OO much more in chop]. WAter starts were easy, it planed early, and it went through the gears very quickly. Overall wind range was quite broad. Pointing ability was quite good, downwind rips were very fast and usually secure [security is one of OO’s very strong points].”

Hey Mike, I tend to agree, but the way Brian cants his thrusters, there will
be some additional drag due to the angle of incidence and toe in.
I had him put some into my HiTech about 12 years ago, and it really did
slow the thing down some, but as Mike F. says, I can ride the thing WFO,
It's my favorite board in 3.7 conditions

Not sure I'd put a pointer in there, but I'd definitely try a sweeper and see
how it works.

-Craig

mchaco1 wrote:

Im definitely no expert, but it seems that the drag of the fins is just a sum of all the drags and same for lift... side fins or not, if the center fin has less drag and more lift the board will be faster. I got the glass board with thrusters for the control, so that I can go faster comfortably.Ill try out some of my rainbow pointer fins and see what happens. I swapped my slotted fin for a race fin on my F2 wave one time and it was substantially faster .

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